(04/13/06) WESTPORT ? The head of Northeast Utilities fielded some tough questions from members of the Westport Y?s Men?s Club Thursday.

The men?s club members directed the inquiries at Charles Shivery during their weekly meeting at the Saugatuck Congregational Church. Top subjects on the list of questions were the implementation of a 22 percent rate hike and power outages that plagued southwestern Connecticut this winter.

Shivery says he understands the pricing concerns, but the matter is essentially out of his hands. According to Shivery, Connecticut does not own any means to produce electricity. This forces the state to rely on marketplace prices, which have been skyrocketing due to the cost of natural gas.